Type-writing machine.



Patnted Oct. 18,1910.

G W HOWELL TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.13, 1905.

i h-[muses w heel5. Ap elbow or beli crank line-'spacelever 6.,- v ispivotcd at 6 upon an exterior.

CHARLES W. HOWELL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 001:. 18, 1910.

Application filed January 13, 1905. Serial No. 240,938.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Type -Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the line spacing mechanism of typewriting machines.

One object of the invention is to provide simple, inexpensive and effective means for connecting the line-space ratchet wheel to the platen, so that the platen maybe released at will and rotated freely independently of the line-space wheel, for the, purpose of filling in of ruled blanks, making corrections,.and so forth.

. Another object is to improve the construction and operation of the line-spacing lever and appurtenances, particularly with a view to low cost of construction, reduction in the number of parts, and minimizing the liability of their getting out of order;

To these and other ends, my invention consists in certain combinations of devices,

construction of parts, and arrangement of members, as hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In thedrawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the left hand end of a platen and platen frame of a typewriting machine illustrating my invention; Fig. 2 1s a sectional side elevation looking from the left of Fig. 1 and omitting someofvthe parts; Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation, some parts being shown larger, and others omitted, for the sake of clearness. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the line-spacing lever and platen frame end. v

1 is a portion of the platen frame, which may be of any approved construction, and comprising ends 1*, 1 2 is the platen, and 3 is the axle passing through the platen and frame. Upon the projecting right-hand end of the axle is fixed a hand wheel, 2, for rotating the platen The platen Qis secured to the axle. 3 by means of setscrew- 4 on the platen head; carried upon thev outer lefthand end of axle 3 islrne-spacing ratchetj V H projecting portion or bracketfi of the platen framev 1,

so as to vibrate horizontally .One long arm.

0f the lever extends forwardly from the pivot, with a convenient bend at 6 to be grasped by the operator, and a short arm 6 projects through a slot 6* in the platen frame toward the platen.

A pawl 7 is formed of sheet metal. bent at right angles to stiffenit, and at its front end has a further bend consisting of a downwardly projecting lip thereby forming three sides of a square, so as to straddle the ratchet wheel 5 as shown in Fig. 3, to prevent lateral displacement of the pawl. At the extreme front end the pawl is'bent down to long arm of the elbow lever 6 at 12 and a leaf spring 13 creates suflicient friction to cause the stop to stay in either of its positions. The stop isformed with an up-.

turned end 14, which serves as a fingerpiece, and stop-faces 15 project different distances from the pivot 12; the two positions of the stop being shown in Fig. 1, one in full lines and the other in dotted lines.

When the line space lever 6 is pressed toward the right, in Fig. 1, the short arm 6 thereof pulls pawl 7 back, and tooth 8 en gages the ratchet wheel 5, and causes the latter to rotate until one of the stop faces 15 contacts with the left-hand side or face of the ratchet wheel, as shown in dotted lines in" Fig. 1.. The shorter stop 15 arrests the parts when the ratchet wheel 5 is rotated the space of two teeth, whilejche other stop acts when the ratchet wheel has moved the distance of one tooth. Upon arrest of the line-space lever by engagement of the stop with the ratchet-wheel, additional pressure against the lever returns the platen frame or carriage to the right to begin a new line. Normally the tooth 8 of pawl 7 is forward of and out of the path of the teeth of the: ratchet wheel 5, as shown in Fig. 2. at which time a' fender 7 provided upon he pawl rests on the ratchet wheel, said fender .being between tooth 8 and lever arm 6*. It :wii-l be seen therefore that although pawl 7 is always in contact with the ratchet wheel 4 5, still in the normal position of the parts the pawl tooth 8 is forward and out of the path of the teeth of ratchet wheel, so that the ratchet wheel and laten may be rotated without interference om the tooth. 8. A spring-pressed detent 16 engages the ratchetwhee 5.-

the cone 17, thereby locking the cones, so.

20 that the ratchet wheel is positively connected to the axle 3, and any rotation of the ratchet wheel 5 will be im arted to the platen 2. To release the rate et wheel, the nut 19 is loosened b turning it in the 0pposite direction, an a leaf-s ring 21 be cone 17 ef-' tween the ratchet wheel 5 an fects their separation. A small nut 22 threaded onto the tip of the shaft, serves to retain the thumb-nut 19-. When the ratchet wheel is so released, the platen can be turned by hand wheel 2", so as to bring any portion of its surfaceto the printing line. It will be noticed that the spring detent 16 remains in engaement wit the'ratchet wheel, and 5 althoug the latter does not turn with the platen, still the pressure exerted by the spring detent 16 makes friction between the lme-space .wheel and the hub 17}, thereby avoiding accidental mover'nents of the platen incident to-the printing and letter-spacing movements of the machine. The spring 21 may also contribute to this result, so that the writingmay roceed as usual even when the line-space w eel is released from the platen. The cones cause a positive connectlon although comparatively little pressure is suflicient to lock them; and the angle of the cones is such that-they will readily disengage. While I do not ,wish to confine my- .50 self to any particular a"ngle,I havefound that'aboiit 8 give the best results;

While the stop mechanism, for limiting the motion of the line' spacing mechanism, is'shown as capable of only two adjustments, it is evident-that three or more stops 15 ma be rovided.

It s oul be understood that the means for connecting and releasing the ratchet- 'wheel may be applied independently of the remaining line spacing' mechanism shown and-described, and likewise the latter may be applied with any construction of ratchet wheel. Various other chan maybe made wlthout departing from t e spirit of my invention. t

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is': v

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen, a line-space ratchet-wheel, a line-space elbow-lever pivoted in rear of the laten axis, one arm of said lever extending forwardly from its pivot, and" a pawl loosely mounted upon the other arm I of said lever and extending forwardly to said wheel, and provided-with means, to 7 straddle the latter.

2. In a line-spacing mechanism, the combination of a platen, an axle to which it is secured, a platen-rotating hand-wheel connected to said axle, a ratchet-wheel, means for connecting or disconnecting said ratchetwheel with the axle, a lever, a awl loosely mounted on the lever, and a fen er provided on said pawl, for preventing the pawl-tooth frominterfering with! the free rotation of '85 saidratchet-wheel.

3. In a line-spacing. mechanism, the combination of a ratchet-wheel, a pawl engaging therewith, a horizontally swinging eland havi a forwardly extending arm, and an adjust'a le stop mounted on said elbowlever to engage the face of the ratchet-' whee.

bination of a platen, an-axle therefor, a linespa'e ratchet-wheel, means for connecting and disconnecting said ratchet-wheel with the axle, a line-space lever, a awl connected to the lever, and an adjustab e stop cooper-' 1 ating with said ratchet-wheel to regulate. the line-spacing movement. I 5. In a lme-spacing mechanism, the combination of a platen, a line-space ratchet- Wheel, a line-spacin loosely connected to t e lever; said pawl be- "ing constructed of asingle piece of sheet metal bent so as to bestride the ratchetwheel, and having a tooth bent downwardly to engage the ratchet-wheel, and having a fender to hold its tooth normally out of the ratchet-wheel.

6. The combination of a platen frame having ends, a platen journaled in said ends .bra'cket up the left-hand end, a line-space ,.e lbow-lever 1n tecl'upon said bracket outside of theplat'en-frame in rear of the platen axis and comprising a long forwardly ex- 'tendin arm and a short arm extending throng a slotin said left-hand end, a pawl connected to said short arm and extending forwardly therefrom to hook into the teeth bftheline space wheel, and. adjustable means for regulating the platen-rotating movement of said lever; the return move inent of said lever being limited by the engagement of said short arm with the end of said slot.

7. The combination of a platen frame bow-lever operatively connected to saidpawl 4. In a line-spacing mechanism, the comlever, and a pawl 1 and proyi edhwith a line-spacev wheel, a

having ends, a platen journaled in said ends and provided with a line-space wheel mo'unted outside of the left-hand end, a line-space lever pivoted upon a part of the platen frame outside of said left-hand end and having an arm extending toward the platen, a-

compression spring coiled around said short arm, and a pawl having a perforation through which said short arm extends; said, pawl lying outside and along said lefthand' end and above said line-space wheel and hooking into the teeth of the latter, said spring being contrived to press said pawlagainst said left-hand end and also to press the pawl into engagement with the linespace wheel, and the awl having portions loosely bestriding said line-space wheel to prevent lateral displacement of the pawl.

8. The combination of a platen frame having ends, a platen journaled insaid ends and provided outside of the left-hand end.

with a line-space wheel, a bracket projecting outwardly from said left-hand end, a line-space lever pivoted upon said bracket and comprising a long forwardly-extending arm and a short arm projecting through a perforation in said left-hand end toward 9. The combination with a revoluble platen and a line-space wheel, of a line-space lever, a returning spring therefor, a pawlextending from said lever to said line-space wheel, and a fender provided upon said pawl for disengaging the pawl-tooth from the linespace w eel during the final portion of the a return movement of said lever.

10. The combination with a revoluble platen and a line-space wheel, of a manually operable reciprocating line-space actuator, a returning spring therefor, a hooked pawl extending from said actuator to said line-space wheel, for pulling the latter around, a fen-1 der provided upon said pawl between its tooth and said actuator, for disengaging the tooth of the pawl from the line-space wheel during the final portion of the return movement of said actuator; and means for regulating the platen-rotating stroke of said actuator.

11. In'a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and platen axle, of a line-space wheel, a clutching cone fixed upon said axle, a corresponding internal cone being) provided upon said line-space wheel, a hu upon said axle cone, a cap loose upon said h'ub'and bearing against said line-space wheel, a pin -andslot connection between said hub and said cap, a' nut threaded upon the end .ofsaid axle to bear a ainst said cap, and a retaining nut threaded of said axleQ V 12. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen fixed upon an axle journaled in a. platen frame, of a binding head fixed upon the axle and havin 'a collar, a

upon the tip line-space wheel loose upon sai collar, and

a nut to force the line-space wheel against the binding head. 7

13. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen fixed upon an axle journaled in the platen frame, of a bindin head. fixed upon the axle and having a co lar, a

line-space wheel loose upon said collar, a nut -to force the line-space. wheel against the binding head, and 'meansto limit the movement ofthe nut away from the line-space wheel;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses. v

' HARLES W. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

CHAs. W. HOWELL, Jr., LEE S. BURRIDGE. 

